2(1)Contributions towards a child's maintenance may only be recovered if the local authority has served a notice (“a contribution notice”) on the contributor specifying—E+W
(a)the weekly amount which it considers should be contributed, and
(b)arrangements for payment.
(2)The contribution notice must be in writing and dated.
(3)Arrangements for payment must, in particular, include—
(a)the date on which liability to contribute begins (which must not be earlier than the date of the notice),
(b)the date on which liability under the notice will end (if the child has not, before that date, ceased to be looked after by the authority), and
(c)the date on which the first payment is to be made.
(4)The authority may specify in a contribution notice a weekly amount which is a standard contribution determined by the authority for all children looked after by it.
(5)The authority may not specify in a contribution notice a weekly amount greater than that which it considers—
(a)it would normally be prepared to pay if it had placed a similar child with local authority foster parents, and
(b)it is reasonably practicable for the contributor to pay (having regard to his or her means).
(6)An authority may at any time withdraw a contribution notice (without affecting its power to serve another).
(7)Where the authority and the contributor agree—
(a)the amount which the contributor is to contribute, and
(b)arrangements for payment,
(whether as specified in the contribution notice or otherwise) and the contributor notifies the authority in writing that he or she so agrees, the authority may recover summarily, as a civil debt, any contribution which is overdue and unpaid.
(8)Sub-paragraph (7) is without prejudice to any other method of recovery.
(9)A contributor may, by serving a notice in writing on the authority, withdraw his or her agreement in relation to any period of liability falling after the date of service of the notice.
Commencement Information
I1Sch. 1 para. 2 in force at 6.4.2016 by S.I. 2016/412, art. 2 (with art. 4, Schs. 1, 2)